Exclusive! Driving Chevy's Volt

I was able to grab a drive in a Chevy Volt "range extended" electric vehicle this afternoon at the New England International Auto Show's press day. Aside from the heated discussion recently on the electric and/or hybrid technology that makes the car what it is, sliding into the driver's seat shows this is no ordinary car—there is a unique high-tech feel that GM successfully presents to the driver that's more like climbing into a fighter jet (and the outside looks are pleasant as well).

That's the initial impression, with a "glass cockpit" feel given by the two blank 7-inch LCD screens for driver information—one on the center stack and the other in front of the driver—there are no traditional round or needle gauges.

Hitting the glowing blue start button provides an audio "revving up" cue (adjustable by the driver) that reminds you of the beginning of "Top Gun." The screens then come to life with vehicle status information or, on the center screen, audio and climate functions. Screen displays can be customized by the driver. My only beef with the car is the speedometer is a digital number rather than an "analog-like" needle depiction, which to me is easier to convey speed by merely scanning angle position rather than "reading" a number.

Buttons on the center stack are touch-sensitive portions of the panel rather than distinct physical buttons. Completing the F-14 feel of the controls is a center shift lever that would not be out of place in a jet (except for the weapons control switches).

The Volt itself is a front-wheel-drive 4-seater hatchback. A fifth seat in the back is precluded by the Li-ion battery pack mounted along the centerline and over the rear wheels. Three electric motors are mounted within the transmission (two for traction), with the gasoline "range-extending generator" charging the battery or driving the electrics if more torque is needed. A look under the hood reveals the four-cylinder engine and an array of high-voltage (300V) electric cables.

The vehicle lists for $41,000, which in reality can be as low as $33,500 with U.S. federal tax incentives. The only options are premium leather heated seats, steering wheel and door trim; rear-view camera and park assist; 17-inch wheels; and special paint.

Unfortunately, drive-wise our route was a loop around the Boston Convention Center that showed the car's smooth pickup and quiet ride and not much else concerning performance and efficiency. Range is quoted at about 350 miles, of which up to 50 can be in the all-electric mode. (Chevy is even quoting speeds up to 100 mph possible in the EV mode!) Interestingly enough, with driving the car today, yesterday GM began production of the Volt in Michigan.

How committed is GM to the Volt? Perhaps as an indication of how much the company is staking on the vehicle is the fact that at October's Convergence Conference on automotive electronics in Detroit, I noticed the watering hole at the Marriott Renaissance Center (where GM's headquarters are based) has been renamed The Volt Bar.

My friend wanted to buy an electric car like Chevy Volt but after he was told the price for the car he decided to search instead for used cars for sale in Pittsburgh PA. The Chevy car is really great and it offers a lot of interesting innovations but the price is too high and only a few people can afford to buy it.

Please note that the ability to keep "what we have" may decline with fuel prices climing. Now electric cars look economically questionable, but bycicling in winter is not a bright prospect either. The key is "what we have" is not forever

DrQuine: The stop-start technology would be a major advance for our auto industry, and the estimated cost per vehicle is fairly low (hundreds) and it could be applied to almost every vehicle produced.
But (there's always a "but") today's lead-acid battery can't cut it. Refer y'all again to John Petersen at AltEnergyStocks.com for the rather technically/financially interesting problem of getting a battery that can meet the specs; he says:
"The conventional vehicle cycle is simply a 1-second starter load of 300 Amps (blue spike) before the alternator kicks in to recharge the battery. The stop-start vehicle cycle, in comparison, has a 60-second accessory load of 50 Amps (pink block) with a one-second starter load of 250 Amps (red spike) at the end. While we naturally tend to think of engine restart as the main issue, the truly serious problem for stop-start systems is the accessory loads that account for a whopping 92% of total energy demand."
And "The Department of Energy believes the most promising short-term alternatives are third-generation devices that combine carbon nanotechnology and lead-acid chemistry in a monoblock battery."

As a Honda Civic Hybrid driver for 88,000 miles at an actual 50 mpg, saving energy and improving efficiency interest me. I'd like to think that the lessons learned in these advanced technology vehicles would be utilized in other (even conventional) vehicles. By capturing energy as my car slows down, not only do I have energy to accelerate later, but I also reduce wear on my brakes which are lasting three times longer than they did on previous cars. This summer I rented an Audi diesel in Portugal; it got nearly 50 mpg and the engine shut off each time it stopped to save energy (as my car does). Applying these techniques could help reduce the environmental impact of all vehicles in congested areas.

I would love to drive one of these just for the experience of the technology. If I could afford to buy one, I think I would. Although, as with any new model, I'd wait until year two to make sure more of the bugs are worked out.
I'm not of the mindset that hybrids, plug-in hybrids, extended-range hybrids, range extended electrics, or whatever you call them, are a long-term solution. The problem is that they use two powerplants to do the job of one. Ultimately, the inefficiencies added by the second powerplant will limit the possible environmental and economic gain to that of an increment which is not enough to solve our fuel and emissions problems.
I do see them plug-in versions as a good stop-gap and a good interm solution. And I think the technology will have a much greater impact when it is widely applied to large vehicles.
If I take a 35mpg econo-box and increase its fuel mileage by 10mpg, I can save about 1,200 gallons over a 200,000. On the other hand, if I can take a 12mpg truck and increase it's average economy to 15mpg, I can save 3,300 gallons over the same 200,000 miles.

I don't think purely electrical cars will be practical until charging or replacing a battery can be done as easily and as fast as filling up a tank of gas. Plugging your car into an outlet overnight will not work: you can't stop and charge your battery like you can fill up a tank at a gas station.
Eric.

My wife drives a Civic hybrid, at routine service, dealer said it needed a new battery pack just before the warranty expired.
I have worked in power management, I trust electronics, and would really like to have an EV, but I do NOT trust chemicals (batteries).
I am seriously considering LEASING the volt, that way I turn it back in before the batteries go, I get the satisfaction of a cool toy and the quoted lease rate of $350/mo is within my threshold of pain.

I drive an '05 Prius, and I can tell that the battery pack isn't what it was initially (I'm at 105k). I have experience with batteries from the UPS business, and this outcome isn't surprising. The pack may not need to be replaced, but I'd really like to have a super-cap in parallel with each cell.
My opinion is that the Volt is DOA; it's a Chevy priced like a luxury division vehicle. And John Petersen over at AltEnergyStocks.com is all over the EV issues (like *true* cost per mile: http://www.altenergystocks.com/archives/2010/12/alice_in_evland_part_ii_the_hall_of_mirrors.html)